Tuesday, August 21, 2007

Hot spring pools, snuggly woollens...it must be Iceland!

Wanted to share this email from one of our favourite customers

yo dudes,

just thought I'd say g'day...just arrived in Reykjavik two days ago...been in Scotland working for last month and half at a summer school..

loving the cuffs to death! and the socks...headband...legwarmers...

photos coming...I promise!...loch ness...ben nevis! also some old ones..

anyways..hope y\all warm, catch you soon,

cheers, Briony

"There are secrets in the rain!
I watch the droplets sketcha message on my window pain
I see things falling into place
I try to drink it in but it's flooding down like all of heaven"
- Gaia Consort, 'Secrets'

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Friday, August 17, 2007

What's warm, woolly and has us flat out like a lizard drinking?

The making of Mongrel Socks, of course! Winter has hit with a vengence, our busiest time of year. This is not a complaint, far from it, we love being busy. We do try to be prepared, with most of our production done in the warmer months, to free up time in busy bits for sales/admin etc. And more importantly the office is alot more inviting than the workshop in the dead of winter. Australia has copped a bad flu season this year and our house hasn't escaped. The leurgy has been wrecking havoc, bouncing back from one person to another for weeks. So as far as work goes we've been flat out busy but all of us lacking in the drive and stamina we usually have. Everything needed doning has been done but it's been a hard slog. Lucky we were organised. You just never know whats around the corner-sales or otherwise. Anyway Spring is nearly upon us, and we're looking forward to those crisp mornings followed by clear, warm'ish days, into cool nights. Tasmania has beautiful Spring weather. Still needing our warm, woolly Mongrel Socks, without that frigid, creeping cold of Tassie's winter.
Roll on Spring!

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Wednesday, August 1, 2007

The Salamanca Market Community.

Working at home is great, and has some really good points eg going to work in your PJs (if you feel like it), commuting time of 30 seconds, going home for lunch and a load of washing. All good. One of the only downsides to our wool sock making endeavours is the fact that we don’t get out and about (yin/yang) and it’s very easy to go days with out seeing anyone in the flesh except us. That’s why we love the hustle of Hobart's Salamanca Market. Not only is it business, it is also a social thing. Over the years we’ve made many a good friend of the fellow regular (and not so regular) stall holders. At times we see these folk more regularly than family. The feeling of community is a constant for me. I have met some amazing people. Some are like family. Watching children grow up, and friends grow old. Just recently I have benefited from this community spirit, in small but never the less, tangible ways. The other weekend when I had a few teething problems (in the pouring rain) with a new Market Canopy (“Mongrel Sock Kennel”) help came out of the woodwork. My fellow stall holders went out of their way to assist. Same thing again when our car sprang a leak, by the time we got to the market was spewing water every which way. No problem, help was at hand, containers of water given to get us home ok. One even followed us home to see we weren’t caught short. I know these are only small things but having broken down on city streets, with no help offered, people too busy to even notice your difficulty, I appreciate the time/help given to us. I like to think that we do the same, and try to lend a hand/ear when needed, to friends or strangers. I think karma kicks in so you get what you give. Good turns given will come back. One of the things I find myself regularly doing is referring email requests that come to us on the off chance we (being in the Market place) can put buyers in touch with elusive stallholders, who don’t have a web presence. That maybe, we know who it is that makes a certain thingumabob purchased at the Market once upon a time. We do try to put the two together and funnily enough we usually do know the people/product requested. Hopefully what comes around goes around. So……. if your after some thing you purchased at Salamanca Market (especially if it’s warm socks), last week or last year, lost their contact details, feel free to put out feelers, as I said, we’re happy help if we can.

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